Reflections from an ED
By Adrian Curtis
In my 30 years at Groundwork (1996-2026) I have been privileged to have been involved in hundreds (if not thousands!) of projects and worked with many fantastic people within Groundwork and our many partners. Choosing any number of projects or programmes is always going to be both hard and unfair on all the ones that I haven’t chosen The following stand out for some very specific reasons.
Rothwell Country Park (1995-2000) The transformation of the largest single site of post-industrial dereliction in Leeds into a Country Park as part of Groundwork’s boundary pushing Millennium Changing Places programme. This was the first of several transformational programmes I have been lucky enough to be directly involved in, from Wyke Beck Way to Heart of Holbeck via Victoria Gardens and Morley Towns Fund in Leeds, Dynamic Drains in Hull, Hornsea Mere, Kirkgate Station and WDH Blueprinting in Wakefield and Better Place in Bradford.
Victoria Gardens in Leeds (2010) was our first major city center project which opened the door for us bring our community focused design approach to a prominent public space and reminded a new generation of public partners what we are capable of.
Better Start Bradford (2018) was another boundary pushing programme that both showed what we could do post-merger in our trust but also the power and lasting benefits of community led greenspace regeneration. It was a great project with a twist in terms of target audience: you never are too young (or old) to benefit from green spaces!
The COVID pandemic and lockdown (2020) may seem like a strange choice, and many will have terrible and tragic memories of all that the pandemic caused. But for me, it showed the strength and resilience of Groundwork and all that we strive to do. We kept the business going, supported hundreds of volunteers and thousands of people with food, medicines, support and advice, repurposed a lot of “what we did” to both continue remotely and then as the restrictions relaxed helped people with the adjustment back to “normality”. I have never been prouder about what we do and who we are.
The many projects that are more than simple projects:
- Sheds in Leeds and Hull
- Country Parks in Fryston, Frickley and Rabbit Ings
- Summer (Christmas and Easter) playschemes that take place in an environment that for many is not something they feel is theirs
- Playgrounds, cycle paths, alleys, allotments, prestigious and neglected spaces we’ve worked on and delivered
- The many hundreds of projects that make a real difference to individuals
- Green Doctors
- Community projects that bring education, friendship, support and hope to people
Groundwork is many things but never boring!
We’ve pioneered many things but also helped our partners reach the “hard to reach” and achieve their priorities in a way that they genuinely want to but often lack the experience, skills, knowledge or even tenacity to.
Which takes me to my final overarching reflection; the merger and creation Groundwork Yorkshire. Three Trusts becoming one at a time of unparalleled financial and societal change and challenge, not because it was easy but because the great people who choose to work for Groundwork that I’ve been privileged to work with were worth it. But also helping many colleagues continue doing the great work they were capable of despite the trials, tribulations and adversity of the time, not always doing what was easy.
I know I leave the trust in the capable hands of our executive leadership team and this cooperative approach to help us lead thoughtfully, sustainably, and in ways that stay true to who we are. By drawing on the strengths of Peter, Emily and Sarah, we are better equipped to support our communities, respond to challenges, reach more beneficiaries and build a resilient and dynamic future for Groundwork Yorkshire.
